Why Marines Make Great Recruiters

“You Marines are taking over the recruiting profession.” I took that as a huge compliment.

Full disclosure: I’m a Marine.

With that out of the way, it’s not just Marines that make great recruiters. Really, anyone with a military background – particularly in combat arms – can be great. But since I’m a Marine, I’ll stick to what I know.

It’s easier that way.

Marines are accustomed to being assaulted daily, operating under constant pressure to accomplish the mission with limited resources, all while dodging bullets.

Ever been to a meeting where a bunch of angry hiring managers who are behind plan because they don’t have the people they need?

Yeah, it kinda feels the same. But Marines thrive in that kind of environment.

There’s a reason most people don’t make recruiting a career. Just like there’s a reason most don’t join the Corps. It’s tough, messy work. It’s a fight every day. Clients are demanding and have short memories about your previous victories. We could have hired 50 great people yesterday.

But that was yesterday.

We are always behind. There are never enough candidates. Sometimes we want to spend more money than someone else far removed from the battle thinks is reasonable, so we operate with much less than what we need. There are organizational constraints that complicate things. The list goes on.

Those without military backgrounds can be great recruiters too. But my guess is that those same people would have probably been great Marines.